An image of a Central Committee meeting in Hanoi. Image taken from this article.

General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng implemented an anti-corruption campaign in 2016 called "blazing furnace" in shorthand. Since then, the fire has ripped through both politicians and businesses, up to even the Presidency. Nearly 200,000 party members, 36 Central Committee members, and 50 police/military generals have been disciplined since the initiative began. In 2018, Dinh La Thang, the former party chief of Ho Chi Minh City, became the first sitting Politburo member to be criminally charged, and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. In 2023, President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc was implicated in a corruption scandal and resigned. He was replaced by Võ Văn Thưởng, who was then also caught in a corruption scandal a year later in March 2024, making him the shortest serving President in Vietnamese history. The Presidency is current headed by Võ Thị Ánh Xuân while they find a new President; she also took that role in 2023.

The ousted leaders tend to also be part of the more West-friendly, technocratic faction inside Vietnam, either reflecting how these people also tend to be more easily corrupted, or how the Communist Party is slowly moving away from a foreign policy which allies itself with the West (as Vietnam has comprehensive strategic partnerships with several Western countries), or some combination. Of course, this shouldn't be overstated - Vietnam has maintained a close friendship with China for years, and both incumbent leaders are intimately familiar with anti-corruption campaigns and how and why they must be conducted in order to deliver maximum public benefit.

America clearly desires Vietnam to pick their side, because America strongly desires another vassal state in East Asia like the Philippines, South Korea, and Japan to further encircle and isolate China. And so the headlines and commentary of Western state propaganda like Radio Free Asia, the BBC, WaPo, Business Insider, etc reveal their increasing annoyance with Vietnam's government. They often couch this in the standard "objective" economics language); about how removing leaders who foreign investors were reassured by might mean economic pain for Vietnam ahead. As Bhadrakumar noted in 2023, perhaps the BBC revealed their intentions the best:

Reading Vietnamese politics is always difficult — the Communist Party makes its decisions behind closed doors. But hard-line General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who was given an unprecedented third term at last year’s party congress, appears to be consolidating his authority by ousting senior officials seen as more pro-Western and pro-business. Officially this is all happening in the name of fighting corruption,.. but it’s indicative of a power struggle at the top of the party… the likely rise now of more security-focused officials to the top of the party will be bad news.

Even a quick google search right now will show a bunch of articles by clearly nervous Westerners: Why Vietnam’s Escalating Anti-Corruption Campaign Might Backfire because, as we all know, only authoritarian regimes are vulnerable to things like public opinion and discontent, while Western "democracies" are insulated from such petty phenomena. Leaders here can have disapproval ratings of 60-70% and not even the slightest consequence will happen to them - a real sign of democratic freedom and justice over those primitive regimes in the East! Or, take: ‘Blazing Furnace’ Turns Vietnam Into Another Chinese Province; China turning both Russia and Vietnam into their provinces in just two years was a real diplomatic masterclass. Or, back in 2022: Vietnam's 'blazing furnace' crackdown burns $40 bln off stocks. Not the stocks! Anything but the stocks!

If your actions as a leader are pissing off Bloomberg, you are going in the right direction.

The COTW (Country of the Week) label is designed to spur discussion and debate about a specific country every week in order to help the community gain greater understanding of the domestic situation of often-understudied nations. If you've wanted to talk about the country or share your experiences, but have never found a relevant place to do so, now is your chance! However, don't worry - this is still a general news megathread where you can post about ongoing events from any country.

The Country of the Week is Vietnam! Feel free to chime in with books, essays, longform articles, even stories and anecdotes or rants. More detail here.

Please check out the HexAtlas!

The bulletins site is here!
The RSS feed is here.
Last week's thread is here.

Israel-Palestine Conflict

If you have evidence of Israeli crimes and atrocities that you wish to preserve, there is a thread here in which to do so.

Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:

UNRWA daily-ish reports on Israel's destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.

English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news (and has automated posting when the person running it goes to sleep).
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.

English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.

Various sources that are covering the Ukraine conflict are also covering the one in Palestine, like Rybar.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Sources:

Defense Politics Asia's youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful. Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don't want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it's just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists' side.

Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.

Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:

Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.

https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR's former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR's forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster's telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a 'propaganda tax', if you don't believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.

Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:

Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.

  • Alaskaball [comrade/them]M
    ·
    6 months ago

    Section 8. Recognizing the role of the United States in Ukraine and affirming solidarity with progressive forces

    Whereas the Communist Party USA stands in solidarity with the working class and progressive forces worldwide in their struggle against fascism, imperialism, and for national self-determination;

    Whereas the CPUSA recognizes the significant role of the United States, through its intelligence apparatus and instruments like the National Endowment for Democracy, in instigating the 2014 coup against Ukraine’s elected government, leading to the installation of a Western-aligned puppet government;

    Whereas the CPUSA condemns the support and empowerment of neo-Nazi political groups and militias by these forces–notably the Azov movement and Azov Battalion, which not only undermines the democratic fabric of nations but also betrays the sacrifices made by millions in the fight against Nazism and fascism during the Second World War;

    Whereas the CPUSA acknowledges the failure of the Minsk accords, largely due to sabotage by forces seeking to perpetuate conflict and division, thereby exacerbating the suffering of the Ukrainian people and contributing to the escalation of tensions in the region since 2022;

    Whereas the CPUSA affirms the right of national self-determination for all people, including the nationalities of the former Soviet Union;

    Be it resolved that the Communist Party USA

    Condemns the role of the United States government and its various agencies and fronts in undermining the sovereignty of Ukraine, Russia, and other nations in pursuit of imperialist objectives.

    Denounces the U.S. and NATO’s support and collaboration with neo-Nazi groups and militias which have overtly characterized themselves in the tradition of Axis forces and collaborators during World War II.

    Calls for the U.S. to cease all transfers of military and lethal aid to Ukraine and for a ceasefire (as called for by the African Union) to allow for the most expeditious path to peace and stability within the framework of existing international, multilateral processes.

    Expresses unwavering solidarity with the working class, communist parties, progressive forces, and all those fighting against imperialism, fascism, and for social justice in Ukraine, Russia, and globally.

    Supports the right of self-determination for the people of Ukraine and the former Soviet Union in determining a political settlement based on the democratic will of the people as a basis forlasting peace and cooperation.

    Commits to working with domestic and international partners, peace movements, and progressive organizations to raise awareness of these issues, mobilize support for peaceful solutions, and challenge the narratives that seek to justify U.S. and NATO imperialism and aggression.

    Submitted by the Communist Party of Texas

    I would vote to make everyone that made this to be made the core central committee members and standing committee members of CPUSA. This club actually seems halfway decent.

    Decent enough to get branded as party traitors and kicked out

    • Alaskaball [comrade/them]M
      ·
      6 months ago

      Section 13. Party education 2024

      WHEREAS: Lenin famously said, “Without revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement.” We, as 21st-century U.S. Communists, affirm that principle. We cannot fulfill the role that our working class and people require of us without an understanding of present-day reality guided by our revolutionary theory. We must be fully engaged in the ideological struggle, just as we are in the economic and political struggle.

      AND WHEREAS: Interest in socialism and Marxism are growing. Our Party must aim to become the premier institution of Marxist education in this country.

      AND WHEREAS: Education must become an integral part of Party life at all levels. The Party must develop in its members the conviction that no comrade ever “outgrows” the need for education. Marxism is a living science that aims to change the world, not simply reflect on it. Marxist education, therefore, not only orients people to Marxist principles and theory but also, and above all, educates on how to apply Marxist analysis to a changing world. As such, Marxist education is necessary not only to new recruits but also to veteran members.

      AND WHEREAS: We have great confidence in the ability of working-class people to understand our science of Marxism and to apply it creatively. In line with this confidence, we must endeavor to make all our education accessible to our class, clearly explaining the terms we use without oversimplifying their content.

      THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: This convention calls on the entire Party to revive the long-standing Party tradition of including Marxist education in every district and club. These educationals should discuss how to apply Marxist theory to the understanding of and response to contemporary issues and struggles. Each club and district should have at least one member assigned to take responsibility for ensuring that educationals are a vital and consistent part of club life. Marxist education plans are encouraged for each club and district, depending on size and capability. These plans may include:

      • club and district standing agenda educationals based on People’s World or cpusa.org articles;
      • Marxist literature (examples: Marxist books and Party pamphlets);
      • Regular study groups;
      • Participation in national and regional schools and national webinar Marxist classes.

      FURTHERMORE, BE IT RESOLVED: The Communist Party USA further charges the national Education Commission to:

      • Continue monthly online Marxist classes and workshops
      • Hold multiple Marxist traveling schools each year, aiding districts and regions to encourage broad participation by local members and guests;
      • Hold national online Marxist schools as regularly as feasible;
      • Hold online new members classes; and
      • Develop public educational activities including through the Working-Class Project.
      • As the struggle grows fiercer, let’s all commit to studying harder and fighting harder!

      Submitted by the Education Commission.

      Lol my folks have already been doing this for 15 years, how fucking far has the old party crashed and burned.

      • Alaskaball [comrade/them]M
        ·
        6 months ago

        Section 16. Rebuilding of the YCL and recommitment to youth leadership

        WHEREAS there has been a significant increase in new and young membership to the Communist Party USA in recent years.

        WHEREAS young people face unique problems under capitalism and have a special relationship to the process of change.

        WHEREAS the YCL is one channel through which young workers and students learn about and may become involved in the CPUSA.

        WHEREAS there has been an increase in establishment of YCLs throughout the country.

        WHEREAS the Party has now hosted three successful Little Red Schoolhouses in New York that have educated over 100 YCL and young Party members.

        WHEREAS the YCL remains unofficially refounded on a national basis.

        WHEREAS in 2019 it was resolved that “the Communist Party shall facilitate the establishment of a national Communist youth organization that unites a generation of youngpolitical activists in the fight for socialism.”

        WHEREAS Article II Section 4 of the CPUSA Constitution reads that “In elections to all Party committees, conventions and conferences, steps shall be taken to maximize the representation of workers, youth, people of color, and women.”

        THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Party commits to create a transitional national formation to aid in the growth of YCLs during this unprecedented upsurge of youth membership. This leadership body is to be a preformation to an official national refounding of the YCL.

        BE IT ALSO RESOLVED that the Party commits to value youth leadership within both the Party and the YCL, understanding that the YCL may take leadership on youth issues, but that does not mean all youth involvement and leadership should or must be relegated to the YCL.

        Submitted by the Philadelphia Debbie Amis Bell Club

        Did you know that CPUSA during it's liquidation, also liquidated the YCL? The fundamental connection of new blood from the people into the Party? The fundamental tool in training the next generation of Party leadership in the roles, tactics, tools, etc. needed to become the future leaders of the party? You know, that thing I've ranted about before in regards to the CPSU's YCL being bleed white due to the Great patriotic war leading to a gigantic bleeding wound in the Party of Lenin and leading to a gap of experience between the old guard of Stalin's generation and the Komsomol youth who were too young to fight?

        Yeah that YCL. Why would you trust a party that liquidated its own youth section and turned itself into a trust fund?

      • jack [he/him, comrade/them]
        ·
        6 months ago

        Calling yourself a democratic centralist ML party and not having mandatory education on Marxism is a joke

        • Alaskaball [comrade/them]M
          ·
          6 months ago

          It genuinely is pathetic. The more shit like this I read, the more in understand what former cpusa members that join my folks are talking about when they say the old party felt ineffective and deeply unserious